A few winners, and a lot of losers dot college landscape

By R.M. Cox

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s that time during a long college football season when much of the attention turns to the unhappiness of fans and alums instead of the joy of winning for the top teams. There are a few big winners, but a lot of losers that dot today's television landscape. Let’s take a look at some of the carnage.

Tennessee (5-4) at Mississippi (6-3), noon, CBS: Neither team’s fans are focused on the field as they should be. This will be a good game that helps determine a pecking order for the SEC in bowl selections. At Tennessee, everyone’s talking about the three players who have been charged with attempted armed robbery. At Mississippi, conversations are dominated by the decision of new chancellor Dan Jones to order the pep band to stop playing “From Dixie With Love,” a tune that mixes “Dixie” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” that has concluded the past five seasons or so with Rebels fans yelling, “The South Will Rise Again!”

Florida State (4-5) at Wake Forest (4-6), noon, ESPNU: Both teams had high hopes as recently as two weeks ago. But Deacons quarterback Riley Skinner left a potential upset of Miami with a concussion, and followed with a loss to Georgia Tech. For the Seminoles, hopes rode on the shoulders of quarterback Christian Ponder until he separated a shoulder at Clemson last Saturday. The interest in this one and why it’s worth tuning in: Freshman E.J. Manuel replaces Ponder. Manuel was coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher’s first prized recruit. Here’s a chance to see the Seminoles’ star of the future.

Kentucky (5-4) at Vanderbilt (2-8), 12:21 p.m., WPCH: The Wildcats are in position to reach a nice bowl. Success over the next three Saturdays might mean that coach Rich Brooks can retire if he decides that it’s time to hand the team over to coach-in-waiting Joker Phillips. Can the Wildcats handle Vandy, Georgia and Tennessee?

No. 1 Florida (9-0) at South Carolina (6-4), 3:30 p.m., CBS: The Gamecocks often are thought to be a rock in the shoe of the Gators, but South Carolina has lost 17 of 18 in the series and has surrendered 107 points the past two seasons. The Gamecocks are skidding hard from a national ranking and will be challenged to keep up again this season.

Stanford (6-3) at No. 9 USC (7-2), 3:30 p.m., FSSO: The Cardinal is in the midst of a turnaround with coach Jim Harbaugh despite having an ol’-style defense. A victory on the road at this juncture will cause hearts to fall in Trojan Nation but will put Harbaugh on many short lists for coaching vacancies.

No. 10 Iowa (9-1) at No. 11 Ohio State (8-2), 3:30 p.m., ESPN: With an Iowa redshirt freshman quarterback taking snaps in anger in Ohio Stadium, the Hawkeyes’ slide from grace as one of the nation’s top teams might look more like a steep nosedive by sundown.

No. 2 Alabama (9-0) at Mississippi State (4-5), 7 p.m., ESPN: Coach Dan Mullen has had the Bulldogs ready to compete most weeks, but it’s hard to see how the Crimson Tide will stumble this late in the season with so much riding on it.

No. 16 Utah (8-1) at No. 4 TCU (9-0), 7:30 p.m., No TV: A season ago, TCU almost derailed the Utes’ perfect 13-0 season, one attained by topping Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Last season, TCU led until the final minutes when Mountain West-rival Utah pulled it out. Could there be a reversal this season? Know this: Utah has held six consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points, and its only loss was 31-24 to Oregon. A lot of eyes are on this game in relation to the BCS standings and bowl-selection outcomes.

Notre Dame (6-3) at No. 12 Pittsburgh (8-1), 8 p.m., ABC: Irish eyes were crying when Navy dropped Notre Dame out of the Top 25 last Saturday, and by mid-week the Irish were pouting, too, about big, bad Navy’s too-rough play. If the Irish think the Middies were too tough, wait till they visit the Panthers, who are off to their best start in 27 years -- since Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino was behind center. Pitt quarterback Bill Stull is fifth in the nation in pass efficiency, and the Irish will need to cover wide receiver Dorin Dickerson, who has nine touchdown catches.